Strategies for Helping Supervisors Succeed with Student Employees
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Set an Example
Model strong work habits through efficient, dedicated work practices. Let your own approach to daily work be an example
from which students can learn.
Be Flexible
Understand that student employees are students first and employees second. Though it is important to have high standards
on the job, it is also important to be flexible to accommodate academic obligations.
Communicate Expectations
Communicate the job standards and expectations to your student employees. One can't assume that these are self-evident to
the students, even though they may seem obvious to you.
Give Feedback Frequently
Provide consistent and appropriate feedback to your student employees. Student employees, like all employees, benefit from
feedback in job performance, providing it is communicated with a positive spirit.
Be Fair
Supervisors who are too lenient are not doing students any favors. Student job are "real jobs." Treat student employees as
you yourself would like to be treated in a given situation.
Train, Train, Train
Take time to train your students in important work skills, attitude, and habits - such as perseverance, time management,
phone skills, quality service practices, handling difficult situations. This is the "common sense' from which success is made.
Be a Team Player
As a team leader, develop and nurture the unique contributions of each team member. Take a global perspective.
Give Recognition
When you see a student "going the extra mile" or "persevering through difficult situations," acknowledge this in front of
other staff and peers. People need to feel appreciated.
Share the Vision
Have regular staff meetings with your student employees and inform them how their work fits into a larger purpose of the
department and institution. Remember, purposeful work is meaningful work.
Be an Educator
To the degree that we each contribute to the lives of others, we are all educators. How can you contribute to the education of
your student employees?
Common Supervisor Problems
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Failure to use common supervisory skills such as listening, communicating, etc.
Lack of responsiveness to administrative/clerical tasks
Failure to define the job, establish goals, or set expectations
Failure to adequately train student employees on job tasks and skills
Failure to be sensitive to the personal and academic needs of students
Failure to help students develop habits and attitudes that reflect positively on institution
Getting supervisors to see student employees as "real employees"
Failure to provide ongoing feedback and evaluation
Inefficient use of student employee's time and talents
Dealing with Conflicts and Complaints
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Remain Calm - look at the situation as objectively and fairly as possible
Listen - Let the other person vent. Listen carefully and be sure you get the details right, asking questions if necessary.
Try to sympathize - Imagine how you would feel in the person's position. Let them know that you understand why they are
upset.
Agree on a Course of Action - Work with the other person to reach a solution or course of action that is agreeable to both of
you.
Follow Up - If action is taken, follow up with the other person and confirm that the situation has been handled in a
satisfactory manner.
Dealing with Difficult People
Attackers
People who charge and need room and time to blow off steam. Get them into a private area, address them by name, and listen
to their position. Do not argue or get into a shouting match; ask them to calm down and present your response in a firm, calm
way.
Egotists
People who come on strong, but unlike attackers, they often act like subject experts. Respect their knowledge and ask
questions, but do not allow them to "take over."
Sneaks
These people often use sarcasm. Your best defense is to expose them with direct questions about what bothers them. They
often retreat if directly queried about what their sarcasm really means.
Victims
People who act powerless and defeated and often whine. Ask them for suggestions to improve the situation. Logically refute
their negative comments with facts.
Negators
These people are usually suspicious of those in authority and believe that their own opinion is the only legitimate one. Let
negators use all their negative "ammunition" before focusing on real solutions.
Super-Agreeable
People who want to be liked and offer to do whatever you want them to do. They over-commit themselves and often
disappoint and frustrate others. Monitor what they volunteer to do to make sure they are not overworked. Disassociate actions
from their sense of self-worth.
Unresponsive
These people are withdrawn and it is seemingly impossible to gain a positive commitment from them. Try using more openended, indirect questions and wait for them to respond. Resist the urge to finish sentences for them. Give them tasks that
require reports at regular intervals.
Why Students Don’t Come to Work
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Inability to get along with other employees. Personality clashes can quickly become major problems with no winners.
Poor working conditions. Cold, heat, poor ventilation, bad lighting, fumes or fragrances, a dirty working environment.
They are bored. There may not be enough work to keep them busy, they may be bored or the job may be very routine or
repetitive
The work is too difficult.
They do not feel they are needed.
They are not motivated.
Transportation or childcare issues.
Poor supervision.
Poor Job Performance
There may be instances when the employee's work performance is not at an acceptable level. It is important to first try to work with
the employee to improve his or her performance. The following are possible reasons for poor performance, and suggested strategies
for improvement:
Reason for poor performance: Lack of knowledge of specific job duties or responsibilities.
Strategy for improvement: Provide additional training; may be helpful to develop a job description and/or manual to make
job responsibilities clear.
Reason for poor performance: Lack of skills for tasks to be performed.
Strategy for improvement: Provide training on skill development; another approach is to shift the person to a position where
skills can be utilized.
Reason for poor performance: Personal problems due to family matters, academics, finances, personal relationships, etc.
Strategy for improvement: May help to just be a "good listener;" may be necessary to refer to counseling is problems persist;
time and understanding are often the solution to these problems.
Reason for poor performance: Interpersonal conflict between supervisor and employee, or between other workers or staff in the
office.
Strategy for improvement: Extremely important to open lines of communication and develop understandings between parties
involved; may be necessary to involve a third unbiased party to mediate the conflict and initiate communication.
Reason for poor performance: General lack of motivation on part of the employee.
Strategy for improvement: More difficult to correct. Some suggestions include:
1) re-emphasize expectations of the job and appropriate job behavior;
2) provide frequent feedback, both negative and positive, on performance (with emphasis on the positive);
3) vary job responsibilities (i.e. alternate tasks to create variety);
4) shift the person to another position where skills and motivation can be better used;
5) if necessary, consider probation, poor evaluations, and/or poor references as a means to encourage proper job
behavior.
Coaching: Strategy for Solving Performance Problems
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Identify unsatisfactory performance
What are the things I actually see and hear that indicate there is a problem
What is it about this person's behavior that makes an adverse impact on the work being done?
What are the things I would have this person do (or stop doing) that would convince me that they have solved the problem?
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a) Analyze what is influencing the unsatisfactory performance
Does the employee know what is supposed to be done and when?
Does the employee know how to do it?
b) Analyze the impact of the unsatisfactory performance
What impact is the behavior having on the workplace?
What impact will the behavior have on the employee if the behavior does not change
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Discuss the performance problem
Hold the meeting in a private place
Ensure that there will be no interruptions.
Allow as much time as necessary to complete the discussion
Make sure your emotions are under control
Decide ahead of time what minimum action you will accept as a result to the discussion.
Be sure to focus on the performance issue, not the employee's personality (i.e. avoid using the work "attitude").
Open the meeting and establish rapport.
State the purpose of the meeting and get agreement that a problem exists.
Be specific when discussing behavior discrepancy.
Explore alternative solutions - ask for employee's suggestions.
Get a commitment to act.
Close with encouragement.
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Follow up
Document the discussion.
Is the action agreed upon with the employee being accomplished? If not, go back to the discussion stage.
Recognize any improvement - this step in the coaching process has the greatest potential to sustain improvement.
Giving Constructive Feedback
Feedback is an essential element for everyone in an organization's workforce. Giving feedback is a task you perform again and again
as a manager or supervisor, letting people know where they are and where to go next in terms of expectations and goals - yours, their
own, and the organizations.
Feedback is a useful tool for indicating when things are going in the right direction or for redirecting problem performance. Your
objective in giving feedback is to provide guidance by supplying information in a useful manner, either to support effective behavior,
or to guide someone back on track toward successful performance.
Some situations which require giving constructive feedback include:
Ongoing performance discussions
Providing specific performance pointers
Following up on coaching discussions
Giving corrective guidance
Letting someone know the consequences of their behavior
Some clues that constructive feedback is needed are when:
Someone asks for your opinion about how they are doing
Unresolved problems persist
Errors occur again and again
An employee's performance doesn't meet expectations
A peer's work habits disturb you
Do’s and Don’ts of Constructive Feedback
Part of being an effective manager or supervisor is knowing what feedback to give. The trick is learning how to give it constructively
so that it has some value. Constructive feedback is a tool that is used to build things up, not break things down. It lets the other person
know that you are on their side.
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Don’t: If you can't think of a constructive purpose for giving feedback, don't give it at all.
Do: Focus on description rather than judgment.
Describing behavior is a way of reporting what has occurred, while judging behavior is an evaluation of what has occurred in
terms of "right or wrong", or "good or bad". By avoiding evaluative language, you reduce the need for the individual to
respond defensively.
For example: "You demonstrate a high degree of confidence when you answer customer questions about registration
procedures, "rather than, "Your communication skills are good."
Do: Focus on observation rather than inference.
Observations refer to what you can see or hear about an individual's behavior, while inferences refer to the assumptions and
interpretations you make from what you see or hear. Focus on what the person did and your reaction.
For example: "When you gave that student the Financial Aid form, you tossed it across the counter," rather than describe
what you assume to be the person's motivation, "I suppose you give all forms out that way!"
Do: Focus on behavior rather than the person
Refer to what an individual does rather than on what you imagine she or he is. To focus on behavior, use adverbs, which
describe action, rather than adjectives, which describe qualities.
For example: "You talked considerably during the staff meeting, which prevented me from getting to some of the main
points," rather than "You talk too much."
Do: Provide a balance of positive and negative feedback
If you consistently give only positive or negative feedback, people will distrust the feedback and it will become useless.
Don’t: Be aware of feedback overload.
Select two or three important points you want to make and offer feedback about those points. If you overload an individual
with feedback, she or he may become confused about what needs to be improved or changed.
For example: "The number of applicants and the time it takes you to enter them are both within the expected ranges. The
number of keying errors you are currently making is higher than expected."
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Giving feedback constructively benefits everyone. Use this on-going exchange of information as a way of getting to know your
people and providing them with valuable guidance in their work. It will make your job and theirs easier.
Six Step Method for Giving Constructive Feedback
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State the constructive purpose of your feedback.
State your purpose briefly by indicating what you'd like to cover and why it's important. If you are initiating feedback, this
focus keeps the other person from having to guess what you want to talk about. If the other person has requested feedback, a
focusing statement will make sure that you direct your feedback toward what the person needs.
For example: "I have a concern about."
"I feel I need to let you know."
"I want to discuss."
"I have some thoughts about."
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Describe specifically what you have observed.
Have a certain event or action in mind and be able to say when and where it happened, who was involved, and what the
results were. Stick to what you personally observed and don't try to speak for others. Avoid talking vaguely about what the
person "always" or "usually" does.
For example: "Yesterday afternoon, when you were speaking with Mrs. Sanchez, I noticed that you kept raising your voice."
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Describe your reactions.
Explain the consequences of the other person's behavior and how you feel about it. Give examples of how you and others are
affected. When you describe your reactions or the consequences of the observed behaviors, the other person can better
appreciate the impact their actions are having on others and on the organization or team as a whole.
For example: "The staff member looked embarrassed and I felt uncomfortable about seeing the episode." "Shouting at our
students is not acceptable behavior in this department."
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Give the other person an opportunity to respond.
Remain silent and meet the other person’s eye, indicating that you are waiting for answer. If the person hesitates to respond,
ask an open ended question.
For example:
"What do you think?"
"What is your view of this situation?"
"What is your reaction to this?"
"Tell me, what are your thoughts?"
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Offer specific suggestions.
Whenever possible make your suggestions helpful by including practical, feasible examples. Offering suggestions shows that
you have thought past your evaluations and moved to how to improve the situation. Even if people are working up to
expected standards, they often benefit from ideas that could help them to perform better.
If your feedback was offered supportively or neutrally, in the "for your information" mode, or depending on the situation's
circumstances, suggestions may not be appropriate. Use your common sense and offer an idea if you think the other person
will find it useful. Don't drum up a suggestion for improvement just for the sake of it.
For example: "Jennifer, I sometimes write myself notes or put up signs to remind myself to do something."
"Jill, rather than telling Ed that you're not interested in all the details, you might try asking him specific
questions about the information you are most interested in."
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Summarize and express your support
Review the major points you discussed. Summarize the Action items, not the negative points of the other person's behavior. If
you have given neutral feedback, emphasize the main points you have wanted to convey. For corrective feedback, stress the
main things you've discussed that the person could do differently. End on a positive note by communicating confidence in the
person's ability to improve the situation.
For example: "As I said, the way the group has figured out how to cover phone calls has really lessened the number of
phone messages to be returned. You've really followed through on a tough problem. Please keep taking the
initiate on problems like that.
By summarizing, you can avoid misunderstandings and check to make sure that your communication is clean. This summary
is an opportunity to show your support for the other person - a way to conclude a negative feedback situation on a positive
note.
For example: "At least we understand each other better since we've talked. I'll do what I can to make sure your priorities
are factored into the schedule, and I'll expect you to come straight to me if the schedule is a problem.
Office of Financial Aid • Student Employment
77 UCB • Boulder, Colorado 80309-0077
t 303 492 7349 • f 303 492 4544 • www.colorado.edu/studentemployment